Thill-coupling



(No Model.)

L. B. STUART.

THILL COUPLING.

No. 340,926. Patented Apr. 27, 1886.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEVI B. STUART, OF SEYMOUR, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HENRY C. COOK, OF ANSONIA, CONNECTICUT.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 340,926, dated April 27, 1886.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEVI B. STUART, of Seymour, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Carriage-Thill-Coupling Attachments; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to bea full, clear, and exact descrip tion of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a top view of a carriage-coupling,

showing the attachment applied; Fig. 2, a vertical central section of the same; Fig. 3, a de tachcd face view of the spring; Fig. 4, a transverse section through the spring and screw, enlarged.

This invention relates to a device or attachment for carriage couplings, to prevent the rattling of the shaft-eye on the shackle-bolt; and it consists in the construction of the antirattling device, as more fully hereinafter described, and particularly recited in the claims.

A represents the axle; B, the coupling-clip; C, the clip-bar; and D l), the nuts on the clip below the bar, by which the coupling is secured to the axle. From the clip ears E E extend forward, between which the shaft-eye F is arranged and secured by the couplingbolt G in the usual manner, the construction of the coupling and clip being common and well known. Between the rear of the shafteye and the front of the clip there is a space for the introduction of the anti-rattling device, also as in the usual construction.

The anti-rattling device consists of a plate, a, best made from sheet-steel, in width corresponding to the width between the ears, its upper end turned rearward, as at b, to take a bearing against the clip above the ears. The other end, 6, extends downward below the shaft-eye. On the face of the plate is a flexible pad, d-may be india-rubber or othersuitable material-secured to the plate, and so as to bear against the rear of the shaft-eye.

e is a U-shaped spring, arranged below the shaft'eye, one end, f, extending upward, and taking a bearing against the clip and in rear of the lower end of the plate a, the other end, g, extending up in front of the lower end of the plate a. Through the upper end, 9, of the spring a screw, h, is introduced, passing freely through the end of the spring, so as to screw into a corresponding hole in the lower end of the plate a, so that by "turning the screw inward the outer end of the spring and the lower end of the plate will be made to approach each other, but with the elastic force of the spring, and so that the spring imparts elasticity to the plate in its bearing against the shaft-eye, the extent of elasticity being adj nstable by means of the screw h. The greater the bearing produced by the screw the greater the friction between the plate and the shafteye, so that the shaft-eye will be held firmly against its bolt and prevented from rattling.

As the jar of the running carriage might tend to loosen the screw, I form a seat on the face of the spring for the head of the screw by making a slight outward or pointed projection, t, one or more, on the face, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3, and so that the head of the screw will make a sharp engagement with the point or projection on the face of the spring, tending to firmly hold the screw. The screw may have, as seen in Fig. 4, a corresponding cavity upon the under side of its head, to engage the corresponding projection on the face of the spring, and thereby lock the two to prevent accidental removal, but yet so that the screw may be adjusted.

\Vhen it is desired to remove the shaft, the screw is loosened to relieve the shaft-eye from the pressure of the spring, and so that the shaft-eye-bolt may be readily withdrawn, or in introducing the shaft-eye the same let-up is made upon the spring. Then after the eye is introduced and the bolt in place, the spring is reapplied.

This device is simple and cheap in construction, not liable to derangement, easily applied and adjusted, and perfectly accomplishes its object.

It will be understood that while describing the invention as applied to carriage-shafts, it applies equally to the application of a carriage-pole.

I claim 1. In combination with a carriage-coupling, the plate a, adapted to be set in rear of the shafteye and its upper end to take abearing one end taking a bearing in rear of the lower end of the said plate, the other extending up forward of the plate, with ascrew, h, through the outer end of said spring into thelower end of said plate, and the plate a, provided with a flexible pad, d, between it and the shafteye, substantially as described.

3. In combination with a carriage-coupling, the plate a, adapted to be set in rear of the shaft-eye and its upper end to take abearing above the shafteye, its lower end extending below the shaft-eye, the U-shaped spring 6, one end taking a bearing in rear of the lower end of the said plate, the other extending up forward of the plate, with a screw, 72, through the outer end of said spring into the lower end of said plate, the face of the spring beneath the head of the screw constructed with an outward projection, i, to engage the head of the screw, substantially as described.

J. I. WEST, J OHN D. BALLOU. 

